Truck plan means more blood on roads
The Maritime Union of New Zealand has slammed Government proposals to allow larger and heavier trucks on New Zealand roads as irresponsible and short-sighted.
The Union says New Zealand needs to promote low-impact, environmentally efficient modes such as coastal shipping and rail to handle the growth in freight, not bigger trucks.
Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Trevor Hanson says proposed changes to land transport rules would see larger, heavier trucks dominating New Zealand roads for years to come.
“Roads will become more dangerous and more crowded leading to more and worse accidents — more blood on the road.”
Government appears leaderless in jobs crisis
The Maritime Union says immediate action is needed to stop the unfolding jobs crisis in New Zealand.
Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says he is concerned that the Government appears to be “sailing in circles” as New Zealand drifts further into recession.
“Productivity dividend” required to distribute wealth
The Maritime Union has called for a “productivity dividend” from employers to spread the wealth created by new technology in the workplace.
Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Trevor Hanson says that the growing use of automated technology in the workplace could have harmful effects in a recession unless the profits were shared.
He says that unless the productivity gains of new technologies are distributed throughout society, especially to displaced workers, it would result in social catastrophe.
Ports of Auckland workers ratify agreement
Maritime Union members at the Ports of Auckland have ratified their collective employment agreement with Ports of Auckland.
The new agreement was ratified by a meeting of members at the Ports on Thursday 25 June 2009.
The agreement will be signed next week. Details of the agreement are being kept confidential.
Fast food jobs shows National Government’s contempt for young workers
The Maritime Union says the National Government’s plan to act as a compulsory recruitment agency for McDonalds fast food chain is a travesty.
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has described an agreement between WINZ and McDonalds that will provide up to 7000 unemployed workers for the fast-food chain’s growth plans over the next five years.
Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the scheme has two beneficiaries – a Government with a failing jobs policy, and a global corporation that will suck profits out of New Zealand.
Fisheries Minister throwing New Zealand jobs to the sharks
The Maritime Union has slammed comments by Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley about employment in New Zealand’s fishing industry, and say they make a bad joke out of the Government’s commitment to protect jobs.
Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says Mr Heatley has publicly admitted that New Zealand jobs are not a priority in the New Zealand fishing industry.
Employers must pay for swine flu quarantines
The Maritime Union will be asking employers to pay workers sent home due to swine flu quarantines.
Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Trevor Hanson says maritime workers are in the front line and are an at risk group for exposure to infectious diseases coming into the country.
Budget takes New Zealand transport down the wrong road
The Maritime Union says the budget announced today is a step backward for transport infrastructure.
Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the lack of support for the maritime industry is a glaring omission.
Mr Hanson says the abandonment of the SeaChange strategy to build up New Zealand shipping in favour of building more roads is a bad mistake.
“The Government has poured money into roading as the world hits peak oil and climate change. They are moving in exactly the wrong direction. Shipping is the transport mode of the future that is low-impact, environmentally responsible and cost effective in the long term, but has been sidelined.”
Free trade dairy debacle with USA was inevitable
The Maritime Union of New Zealand says the collapse of free trade in dairy products going into the United States was predictable and inevitable.
Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says New Zealand has been naive in allowing free trade ideology to replace common sense and had been “led by the nose” by a self-interested sector of business in New Zealand who put their own interests first.
He says that nations such as the United States would support free trade as long as it served their interests, then would abandon it when it no longer suited them, which is what had now happened.
Removal of Ports of Auckland chairman is a positive move
The Maritime Union says the removal of Ports of Auckland chairman Gary Judd last week is for the best.
Maritime Union Local 13 President Denis Carlisle says the removal of Ports of Auckland chairman Gary Judd by Auckland Regional Holdings could lead to a more positive atmosphere.
He says the Union has been concerned about the approach of Mr Judd and his level of commitment to the Ports of Auckland as a public asset owned by the people of Auckland.